"So you'll send your wagon periodically, with every visit I'll tell you what I would be interested in next time..."
"Deal!" said Alak and sealed parchment in front of him. "Lord Dazelosric, now we're official trading partners."
"I look forward for our future." said the lord. "Well, I'm done here, then. Farewell, Kudarkalur!"
"Hey, Alle!" called Zeg, running to the lord.
"What's up?" he asked.
"What was that all about? First you told me something, then you told them something another..."
"Things got complicated. I would be glad if our private talk can stay private. Bye, Zeg, I'm off!"
The tribesdwarf watched, as the lord and his stallion are vanishing over horizon. He shrugged, turned, and went home.
Lolor carefully knocked the door.
"Is the nobleman gone?" he asked.
"Yeah, we're done, everything's signed, sealed." Alak answered. "Come here, just you. Your friends'll wait."
Keshan and Ziril stayed at the hallway, Lolor entered. Urist, who was somewhere in corner bookkeeping, came forth too.
"Take a seat." said Alak.
When Lolor and Urist were both on their places, Alak gave them glance most blissfull, and he whispered:
"Dear fellow nobles, I've got plan how to become king of dwarvenkind!"
Lolor and Urist moved their heads closer.
"I'll marry a princess!"
Urist widened his eyes, Lolor started giggling.
"What's funny?"
"Nothing..." said Lolor. "Your plans are truly masterful, genial!"
"I think so."
Urist started giggling too.
"You don't believe it?"
"Well, the princess is in Emenkegeth, now when goblins and night creatures are all around..." said Urist.
"Why would the princess, or, more like the king wanted to agree? By the way, we're not even completely sure who's king now!" said Lolor, Urist was nodding.
Someone knocked on the door, then they opened. It was Rikkir.
"I can walk myself again, you see? Now, have I missed something?" he asked.
"Alak wants to marry a princess." said Lolor.
"And why not? I would marry the princess!" said Rikkir and sat down. "Many benefits come along!"
"It's not that simple..." said Urist.
"The plan is flawless!" said Alak, raising his fist. "With help of the toad, we will save the day and become heroes, and we'll live happily ever after! By the way, Lolor, has your kea returned? Or any other messages from other fortresses?"
"Sadly, no." said Lolor.
"Why isn't the toad here, at the council?" asked Urist.
"Luslemnod has full schedule. After this I ordered one teraphy for our good bookkeeper..."
Urist facepalmed.
"Fine." he said. "But only because you're the overseer!"
He stood up and went out, but he bumped to Zeg on the doorstep.
"Watch out, I'm carrying treasures!" said the tribesdwarf. "Look at this!"
Alak stood up and shouted: "Who knocked Muz unconscious?"
"Oh, he's just exhausted. Look, he made this!"
The nobles curiously looked at Acöbkegeth.
"That's a crundle coop? Why is it so small?"
"It's not a coop and it's not for crundles! It's a nest box!"
"Look at the little gemstones! Pretty!" said Lolor.
"What did you mean, not for crundles? Apparently, it's perfectly for them!" proclaimed Alak. "Take it to Urnût, he'll know where to put it! And let someone have a look at Muz, okay? Good. Alright, people, that's enough for today. You're dismissed!"
"So, Urist. First of all, what's your problem?" asked the toad.
"Nothing at all." said Urist confidently.
"I don't believe that, everyone has a problem."
"Well, I am not going to tell you."
"Why not?"
Urist scratched his head, thought for a moment.
"It's sort of... Forget it. I don't have a problem!"
Toad contemplated, like on some engraving.
"Diagnosis is very bad."
"Huh?" said Urist and moved forth a little bit.
"You're gonna die."
Urist stood up.
"Not now, silly!"
Urist sat down.
"You're trying apparently to forget about your past problems."
"That's... Right."
"That's okay. The thing is, past is no more, and you're being weird."
"Weird?!!"
"You can't just hide and do nothing till you die. Cacatonic dwarves do that. You can't write off yourself, no matter what you did. You can change and be better!"
"It's not really about what I did..." said Urist.
"You're traumatized. Got it."
Urist wanted to say something, the toad didn't let him.
"You needn't to tell me anything. Alright, keep your secrets. But now, stand up, and do something, when the world needs you. Okay?"
Urist nodded.
Toad smiled, it turned, wanting to leave.
"About that... Helping..." Urist said.
Toad turned back.
"I dropped my axe down there!"